Aurora destinations · Alaska & Canada
Northern lights in Banff
Alberta, Canada · 51.18°N, 115.57°W
Banff sits near the auroral oval: aurora shows on most moderately active nights (magnetic latitude 58°). Light pollution: the sky here is fairly dark.
Open the live forecast for Banff
At a glance
- Good odds: from Kp 2.4 at a dark site
- Best months: August, September and July
- Best weeks in the coming year: 27 Jul – 16 Aug · 24 Aug – 13 Sept · 21–27 Sept
- Dark enough for aurora all year
Month by month
A typical night: real darkness and moon, average aurora activity (Kp 2014–2025) and satellite cloud cover (NASA, 2001–2025). Long-range odds, not a forecast.
| Month | Typical night | Clear sky | Dark hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6% | 30% | 14 h |
| February | 7% | 31% | 12 h |
| March | 7% | 28% | 10 h |
| April | 7% | 28% | 8 h |
| May | 7% | 30% | 6 h |
| June | 7% | 32% | 5 h |
| July | 9% | 44% | 6 h |
| August | 10% | 43% | 8 h |
| September | 9% | 37% | 10 h |
| October | 7% | 32% | 12 h |
| November | 6% | 29% | 13 h |
| December | 7% | 32% | 14 h |
Tips for Banff
- Clouds decide most nights: check the hour-by-hour forecast, and the “Clearer skies nearby” card for a spot within a drive.
- Aurora is usually best between about 22:00 and 02:00 local time; give your eyes 15 minutes in the dark.
- The sky is already dark here: find an open view to the north.
Nearby destinations
Fairbanks · Coldfoot · Anchorage · Yellowknife · Whitehorse · Churchill